Ultima Online Sequel, Canceled?

Our first piece of news concerns Origin System Inc.'s cancellation of the planned sequel to their groundbreaking Massively Multiplayer Online RPG, Ultima Online, known as Ultima Worlds Online: Origin. Citing a desire to focus on Ultima Online by not creating a competing world, Origin will still release Ultima Online: Third Dawn, a version 3.0 containing new lands creatures, and such.

Also, some news from Black Isle Studios; the team that developed Planescape Torment and Icewind Dale. A new RPG using a Real-Time version of the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system (used in the Fallout series) is in the works. Entitled Torn, it takes place in an original world where you play a damned wanderer who brings misfortune everywhere he/she goes. Black Isle Studios promises skill sets and options up the yin-yang.

And finally, according to Famitsu.com, Dragon Quest Monsters II was the top seller in Japan during the week of March 5th through March 11th with 501,081 copies sold. Considering the popularity of the Dragon Quest series in Japan, the high sales aren't surprising. The second place game weighed in at a measly 59,464 copies sold. The other new Dragon Quest games are also still on the top 30 in Japan. Dragon Quest 3: And Then, Into the Legend took 13th place with 8,588 copies sold (471,481 total) and Dragon Quest 7: Soldiers of Eden is still holding strong at 25th place with 4,859 copies sold (3,845,388 total).